notes

I picked up the guitar a about two years ago but I know almost nothing about music theory (outside of what I got in elementary school) so i have just been reallying on tab and my ear to get me along. I've found the lessons on notes very helpful but i was hoping for more of an explanation.

Specifically I was wondering why not all strings play sharp notes when you press down on the first fret? So when I play the high E, B, and low E while pressing down on the first fret I get a F,C, and F. Conversely when I play the G, D, and A strings while pressing the first fret I get a G#, D#, and A#.

If each fret is a half step up on the musical staff then why isn't the pattern of sharp notes consistent throughout the first fret?

Because each fret is a 1/2 step. And there is only a 1/2 step between B and C and between E and F. So, when you play a fret (1/2 step) above B, you get a C. When play a fret above E, you get an F.

But, there's a full step between G and A, D and E, and A and B. So a single fret about those strings (1/2 step) would be a G# or Ab, a D# or Eb or A# or Bb respectively.

I refered to keyboard black keys # going up b coming down no black key in between notes no #'s or b's .This worked for me in the beginning. Samata has the proper explanation.

Thanks guys. Samata, your explanation was a big help and so was dougjt's suggestion to look at a keyboard. I found a picture of a keyboard on the internet that was marked with the natural notes on the white keys and the # and b on the black keys. That helped me visualize what was going on. I thought that the half steps and their tone related to how they are portrayed on a music staff, but i guess that's not the case. Por ejemplo, E is on a line, F is in a space, G is on a line and so on.

Is their anyway to rationalize where you are at when you play a note on the guitar or is memorizing the note and the next half step up the only way? Not that it's that hard, just curious.

Also. Is there such a thing as an E# or B#?

Originally Posted by: John George
Also. Is there such a thing as an E# or B#?

Yes and no. I apologize if this sounds confusing!

An E# is an F (if you sharp an E, you move one half step up and you get an F) and a B# is a C (if you sharp an B, you move one half step up and you get an C)

While there is no physical E# or B#, when memorizing scales there will be certain times when you refer to an F as an E# and a C as a B#. In a nutshell, scales must include every letter.

The C major scale, which has no sharps or flats, is as follows:

C-D-E-F-G-A-B

Notice that every letter is included.

Now, the F# major scale, which has 6 sharps:

F#-G#-A#-B-C#-D#-E#

That last E# is really an F. There is no physical E# but the F is referred to as an E# in order to retain consistency. I think it's also easier to remember too.

Hope that helped!